Venom

The Secrets of Nature's Deadliest Weapon

By: Ronald Jenner, Eivind Undheim

A fully illustrated guide to venom, its evolution in different animal groups, its effects and its treatments.

When we enter the world of venom, we enter the realm of one of the most diverse, versatile, sophisticated and deadly biological adaptations ever to have evolved on Earth. + Full description

Since it first appeared in ancient jellyfish and sea anemones, venom has proved so effective that it has since evolved independently in dozens of different animal groups. The authors reveal the many unique methods by which venomous animals deliver their cocktail of toxins and how these disrupt the physiology of the victims.

Jenner and Undheim also consider how humans have learnt to neutralise venom’s devastating effects, as well as exploit the power of venom in innovative ways to create new drugs to treat a variety of serious conditions. Fully illustrated throughout, this illuminating guide will appeal to all those with an interest in the wondrous world of venom.

- Short description

News

Sales in Australia and New Zealand only. Elsewhere, this title is available through The Natural History Museum.

Reviews

"The amazing information that Venom contains stimulates the reader’s interest and a scattering of curious anecdotes lightens the read."
Kelvyn Dunn, Metamorphosis Australia, March 2018

"A quick browse of the first chapter of this compact volume will intrigue readers sufficiently to want to know more... An enlightening and entertaining read... beautifully illustrated with full colour photos and diagrams"
iHerp Magazine (4), January 2018

"To know about the multitude and variety of venomous animals in the world is both daunting and exciting. The book is written by two scientists, Jenner and Undheim, who make an interesting topic even more interesting through their writing style and the inclusion of striking images; the Ig Nobel prize-winning diagram rating the pain of bee stings on various parts of the human body is a vivid example."
R Johnson, Australian Veterinary Journal 96(3), March 2018

"I happily sat and read the whole book through from start to finish, however you could quite easily jump to the chapter that interests you. Just watch out for some of the photos! They are fantastic if sometimes gruesome... The language is similar to what you would find at a good museum, giving just enough of an explanation of the topic that you grasp the concept and not delving too deeply so that you get lost. This is a great introduction for people who know little about venom or those who are just starting to study venomous animals."
Annette Mackintosh, Australian Marine Science Bulletin 202(1), May 2018

"Jenner and Undheim do a remarkable job of spanning this range of topics and introducing each with exciting examples from across the (mostly) animal kingdom. Venom provides something for every reader at a level that assumes almost no prior specialized knowledge. It is richly illustrated and visually appealing in a way that made me think of it almost as a ‘coffee-table book’."
Edmund D. Brodie III, Current Biology Magazine 28(21), November 2018

"With outstanding photographs and illustrative diagrams, the book is an insightful and fascinating read."
Rhianna King, Landscope magazine 2019

Details

Paperback | October 2017 | $ 29.95
ISBN: 9781486308378 | 208 pages | 230 x 173 mm
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Colour illustrations

Features

Engaging guide to these dangerous toxins and their use in the natural world
Features case studies on some of the most lethal animals on the planet
Richly illustrated with special photography of real specimens from the Natural History Museum's collections

Chapter 1: Nature’s ultimate weapon
Chapter 2: The deadly diversity of venoms
Chapter 3: Probing the power of venom
Chapter 4: Dissecting the power of venom
Chapter 5: Evolving venoms
Chapter 6: Cultures, cures, quackery and cosmetics
Chapter 7: A microcosm of venom
Glossary
Index
Further reading
Picture credits
Acknowledgements

Authors

Ronald Jenner is a Research Leader in the Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London. His empirical research investigates venom evolution, with a focus on neglected venomous invertebrates, while his theoretical work addresses conceptual issues in evolutionary biology.

Eivind Undheim is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, Australia. His main research interest is the evolution of venoms and venom systems. His research covers a great diversity of animals, with a particular focus on centipedes, one of the oldest groups of venomous land animals.